Numerous techniques are employed for the administration of “medical liquids” (e.g. liquid medication and flush solutions) to a patient. In particular, where repeated medication infusions are required, medical liquids are often administered via the use of a vascular access catheter that is fluidly interconnected or interconnectable to one or more medical liquid sources via an associated tubing line set. Typically, the catheter is inserted into the vein of a patient and left there for multiple intravenous (IV) infusions during an extended course of medication therapy. By way of example, the time period between IV drug infusions may be between about 4 to 24 hours, wherein the IV liquid medication source is typically replaced after each dose infusion.
In conjunction with extended therapy applications, a desirable practice is to disconnect a vascular catheter from a medical liquid source(s) between infusions. In this regard, most patients receiving IV medication therapy are ambulatory to some degree and benefit from not being continuously connected to a medical liquid source(s).
To facilitate the ready and repeated connection/disconnection of a vascular catheter and medical liquid source(s), while avoiding the use of needle-type arrangements (e.g. arrangements where sharp/blunt needle ends are inserted into specialized vascular catheter connection ports having a piercable/slit stopper), complimentary female and male connectors are often utilized (e.g. male and female luer connectors). For purposes hereof, a “male connector” generally refers to any fluid connector having a nozzle end that projects into a “female connector” upon interconnection therewith, wherein fluid transfer between the male and female connector may be realized. In this regard, for example, a female connector may be fluidly interconnected as an access port to the vascular catheter and a complimentary male connector may be fluidly interconnected or readily interconnectable to a medical liquid source(s).
In order to maintain sterility, the medical-liquid, male connector is typically covered with a new cap after each disconnection from the female connector, and a depressible member of the medical-liquid, female connector is contacted with an antibacterial material (e.g. an alcohol solution) before each interconnection with the male connector. Such an approach entails the unpackaging, use and disposal of multiple caps over an extended medication therapy. For example, where liquid medication is administered at least every four hours over a three-day period at least 18 caps would be required to maintain the sterility of the medical-liquid, male connector. As may be appreciated, cap-related costs, medical personnel time expenditures and inventory management implications associated with this approach can become quite significant.